Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to medical imaging systems and, more particularly, to the use of medical imaging systems, such as, e.g., nuclear medical imaging systems along with body monitoring devices, such as, e.g., electrocardiogram devices.
The Background
A variety of medical imaging systems are known. Some illustrative imaging systems include nuclear medical imaging systems (e.g., gamma cameras), computed tomography (CT or CAT) systems, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) systems, positron-emission tomography (PET) systems, ultrasound systems and/or the like.
With respect to nuclear medical imaging systems, nuclear medicine is a unique medical specialty wherein radiation (e.g., gamma radiation) is used to acquire images that show, e.g., the function and/or anatomy of organs, bones and/or tissues of the body. Typically, radioactive compounds, called radiopharmaceuticals or tracers, are introduced into the body, either by injection or ingestion, and are attracted to specific organs, bones or tissues of interest. These radiopharmaceuticals produce gamma photon emissions that emanate from the body and are captured by a scintillation crystal, with which the photons interact to produce flashes of light or “events.” These events can be detected by, e.g., an array of photo-detectors, such as photomultiplier tubes, and their spatial locations or positions can be calculated and stored. In this manner, an image of an organ, tissue or the like under study can be created from detection of the distribution of the radioisotopes in the body.
Typically, this type of nuclear medical imaging equipment, called a gamma camera or a scintillation camera, includes one or more detectors that are enclosed within a metal housing. The positions of the detectors can typically be changed to a variety of orientations to obtain images of a patient's body from various directions. In many instances, a data acquisition console (e.g., with a user interface and/or display) is located proximate a patient during use for a technologist to manipulate during data acquisition. In addition to the data acquisition console, images are often developed via a processing computer system which is operated at another image processing computer console including, e.g., an operator interface and a display, which may often be located in another room, to develop images. By way of example, the image acquisition data may, in some instances, be transmitted to the processing computer system after acquisition using the acquisition console.
In some applications, nuclear medical imaging systems can be used in conjunction with an electrocardiogram (ECG) device in order to perform specific types of analyses. For example, in some instances, heart-wall motion and/or overall heart function can be analyzed using a technique known as cardiac gating. Cardiac gating typically involves the use of an electric signal from the pumping of the heart to control and/or obtain images of, e.g., heart contractions. In cardiac gating, images of the heart can be synchronized with different parts of the cardiac cycle. An ECG can record electrical currents that activate a patient's heart muscle in order to determine these parts of the cardiac cycle.
A typical electrocardiogram (ECG) includes electrode patches that are attached to a patient's skin (e.g., with adhesives) to measure electrical impulses of a patient's heart. The electrode patches are connected to the ECG device with long conductive wires (e.g., leads) that extend to the ECG device itself. Typically, the leads need to be rather long in order to enable doctors, radiologists, technologists and/or the like to move them to desired locations during use and/or to ensure that the leads are non-obstructive during a desired procedure. The electrical impulses received by the electrodes are transmitted via the conductive leads and processed by the ECG. Often, the impulses are recorded in wave forms which can be displayed, e.g., on a display, such as, e.g., a computer monitor or the like, such as, e.g., in alphanumeric representations and/or as a graphical representation of the wave forms (e.g., heart-pulse histograms). Waveforms may represent, e.g., currents in a different area of a patient's heart, such as, e.g., electrical current in the atria (i.e., the upper chambers of the heart) and/or the ventricles (i.e., the lower chambers of the heart). Among other things, an ECG can be used to measure heart rate, heart rhythm, heart wave patterns and/or the like.
While the importance of nuclear cardiology has grown steadily over the last few decades, relatively recently, gated single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) has emerged as an important method for, inter alia, myocardial perfusion imaging through concurrent display and analysis of myocardial perfusion and contractile functions. Gated SPECT typically involves an image acquisition technique in which a patient's ECG data is used to control acquisition. In some examples, a data acquisition computer system (which may be the same as or different from the image processing computer system discussed above) can be used to define a number of frames in which an RR interval (e.g., the interval between two subsequent R-peaks) is to be divided (such as, e.g., 8 frames, 16 frames or another number of frames). The ECG can be connected to the computer system and the RR intervals (over a time period of about, e.g., a minute or less) can be obtained and, e.g., displayed graphically as a histogram. Typically, a window (such as, e.g., between about 10-20 percent) is selected around a mean RR interval, such that only data from cardiac cycles within that window are accepted. Then, during acquisition, the computer system can be used to analyze the R waves and check if the RR interval is within the established window limits. The data from the first frame of the cardiac cycle is stored in frame 1, the data from the second frame is stored in frame 2, and so on. Upon reaching a predefined acquisition time and angle, the camera can be controlled to move to a new position (such as, e.g., a few degrees to a subsequent angular position within an acquisition path). This procedure can be repeated over the acquisition path, such as, e.g., over about 180 degrees in some instances.
While gated SPECT procedures, employing both gamma cameras and ECG devices, have proven to be very valuable, the co-use of such systems has been problematic. Among other things, the above-described long conductive wires (e.g., leads) of the ECG device can be obstructive, distractive and/or be a nuisance during use. These problems are exacerbated by the fact that gamma cameras typically involve the use of movable platforms upon which a patient is supported during image acquisition. Movement of the platform while leads are physically attached to an individual can result in the risk that leads may become entangled in equipment, snag and/or tug on individuals and/or equipment, resulting in potential equipment problems and/or the like. Thus, while wires need to be long for freedom of movement, the increased length increases their intrusive nature and also increases the likelihood of becoming caught in equipment or the like.
In addition, the concurrent use of such gamma cameras and ECG equipment by physicians and the like can be somewhat cumbersome because the devices are separate. Often, the ECG's display and/or user interface will be displaced from the nuclear medical equipment's display and/or user interface. Accordingly, operation of the equipment together can be problematic. Moreover, because the ECG device is usually a separate unit that can be placed on the side of the imaging system during use, while the patient is positioned on an imaging platform (e.g., imaging table) that moves relative to the ECG during the patient set-up and, sometimes, even during acquisition, operating around and/or with the ECG equipment can be cumbersome and/or problematic. Because the ECG device is separate, it creates additional clutter that may be in the way of the patient or technologist, etc., during use. Moreover, because the ECG device is separate, it is often in a non-ideal location for the technologist to view and/or manipulate the ECG equipment.
Thus, while a variety of systems and methods are known, there remains a continued need for improved systems and methods overcoming the above and/or other problems with existing systems and methods.